Urban Environmental WALL (Water, Air, Land and Legislation)

EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING

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"...to increase the economic and political empowerment of blacks and other minorities and to help all Americans (share) equally in the responsibilities and rewards of full citizenship."

NEW BEGINNINGS IN a NEW CENTER

On March 13, 1998, the Technology Resource Center relocated from 1375 Missouri Avenue, NW to its present location at 6017 Chillum Place, NW, second floor. The new center’s 7,800 square foot space presented the opportunity to make some changes to our training program. The center has 48 computers networked and Internet-ready, of which 40 are in the classrooms. It also has its own library, an area for workshops, typing instruction, a remedial study section, a student lounge and lunch area.

Since its inception 20 years ago, the Technology Resource Center has provided clerical skills training for more than 2,500 District of Columbia residents. Participants are drawn from the diverse populations of the District; they are welfare recipients, ex-offenders, the unemployed, underemployed, elderly, homeless, individuals in recovery and others with limited disabilities. The TRC staff realizes that some participants come with barriers to training and we assist those participants in removing the barriers. We provide assistance in support referrals for clothing, food, housing, child care, substance abuse counseling and health assessment. Providing a holistic approach to training contributes to a positive, rewarding experience resulting in unsubsidized employment.

In June 1998, Classes 55 and 56 completed training in the Allied Health Clerical Training Program. The training entailed WordPerfect 6.1, MediSoft - a patient billing software package, medical terminology, medical typing - work readiness workshops, English and Mathematics. Of the 37 participants who completed training, 27 are now employed with such employers as the Greater Washington Urban League, FEMA, Norrell Services, Med Temps, Providence Hospital, Prince George’s Hospital, Doctors Hospital, INOVA Alexandria Hospital, Aspen Systems, Ideal Computer Strategies, Ltd., and the National Law Center on Homeless & Poverty.

Class 57 completed its training in the Clerical Skills Training Program in July 1999. They received training in Corel^® WordPerfect 8, Microsoft^® Word, Microsoft^® Excel, Lotus 1-2-3, Desktop Publishing and the safe use of the Internet. They also attended classes in Civil Service Exam preparation and workshops in Work Readiness and Life Skills. Of the 16 participants who completed training, 10 have already been placed with such employers as the Greater Washington Urban League, Coca-Cola, CACI, Victronics, Department of Justice and American University.

AMERICA LINKS UP WITH THE TECHNOLOGY RESOURCE CENTER

The Technology Resource Center in partnership with the AT&T Foundation and American Links Up combined their resources to provide children and their parents with a safe and rewarding experience on line. America Links Up is a kids online teach-in national campaign to encourage and support educational events and safety on the Internet for our children.

On September 14, 1998, the first teach-in in the nation was held at the Technology Resource Center with 20 young people and their parents, who were given hands-on instruction on how to browse the Internet, along with tips for staying safe online. The youngsters were given the opportunity to e-mail the Secretary of Education, Richard Riley on their impression of the teach-in.

AMERICAN LINKS UP website is http://www.americalinksup.org.

SUMMER COMPUTER EDUCATION PROGRAM

The Technology Resource Center was home for 50 students this past summer between the ages of 8-17 in its 4^th annual Computer Camp. The program gave young people an opportunity to use the most current software on state-of-the-art computers.

With the dedication of the staff and volunteers, the students learned Corel^® WordPerfect 8, Microsoft^® Word and the safe use of the Internet. Students created newsletters, learned how to format business letters, and created their own personal business cards. Every Thursday was field trip day for the students. Points of interest were the Newseum, National Space and Air Museum, Washington Aqueduct, National Building Museum and the Environmental WALL Water Festival. With the knowledge gained from the field trips and the Internet, the students were able to build a model city of the future.

ARE YOU INTERESTED IN COMPUTER CLASSES FOR YOURSELF OR YOUR CHILDREN?

The Technology Resource Center offers computer training for both children and adults. Components of the classes include keyboarding, Internet surfing, Web page design, desktop publishing and spreadsheet, as well as math, science and English.

The Center is a state-of-the-art facility. Specific courses include: MS Word 97 Introduction, MS Excel 97 Introduction, Windows 98 Introduction, Internet and Online Services Overview, Corel WordPerfect 8.0 Introduction and MS PowerPoint 97 Introduction.

Some classes for children are free and fees for adults are nominal. For more information, contact the Technology Research Center at 202-291-1230, or E-mail: trc1@primanet.com.